Islands face particular energy challenges. Costly imports of fossil fuels, for one, can burden island budgets and inhibit investment in socio-economic development. SWH systems are highly cost effective in an island setting with high electricity prices. Further attempts to increase SWH uptake in islands will need to address the lack of information on system options and how to install them, upfront financing cost, and difficulty in obtaining loans.

Some countries in Europe have made plans for using solar energy to cover between 1 and 4% of their gross final demand of heating and cooling by 2020. The states with the most ambitious targets regarding their national sector are Portugal, Germany and France. Source: National RES Industry Roadmaps

Great Britain is a country with a fair number of governmental initiatives intended to save carbon emissions. Two major documents are the UK Low Carbon Transition Plan and the Renewable Energy Strategy (RES) published in July 2009, which cover all industries and renewable technologies. There is no doubt about the country taking its responsibility of reducing greenhouse gas emissions seriously, with RES 2020 targets calling for a reduction of 15 % in such emissions.

The Malta Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energies Association (M.E.E.R.E.A.) has taken on the drafting of the roadmap to ensure the future development of renewable energy sources on the sunny island in the Mediterranean Sea. M.E.E.R.E.A. is a non-profit and non-governmental organisation established in June 2001.

France is the frontrunner in Europe in terms of implementing political frame conditions for solar thermal technology. The government already approved the country's energy law, the so-called “Grenelle de l’Environnement“, in 2007. Richard Loyen, Secretary General of the French Solar Energy Association Enerplan, explained that the law, “more or less anticipated the implementation of the RES Directive” when he spoke during an association workshop organized by the European Solar Thermal Industry Federation (ESTIF) in Brussels last December.

In order to reach the goal of 34% renewables in 2020, Austria needs to increase significantly the share of renewable heating and cooling in its energy mix. Solar Thermal can deliver an important contribution to that goal.

Romania is a good example for a country that is still only beginning to establish a policy for solar heating and cooling – not merely on the side of the government, but also on the side of the industry and its suppliers. As of 21 December 2009, there has not yet been a date announced for the first draft of the National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP).

Some recent personnel changes taken by the new Greek government makes you optimistic about the future of renewable energy policy in Greece. First, the government appointed Prof. Arthouros Zervos, long-term President of the European Renewable Energy Council (EREC) and the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA), CEO of state-controlled Public Power Corporation (PPC), the country’s biggest electricity provider.

The Polish solar thermal industry exudes confident. It reached one of the highest growth rates of all European countries in recent years. Average growth has meant around 43% annually since 2001, according to Grzegorz Wisniewski , head of the Polish Institute for Renewable Energy (IEO). In 2009, the newly installed collector area amounted to an estimated 200,000 m2; the target for 2010 is 350,000 m2.